The Dixons
by LemonStar
Summary: ..Daryl/Beth.. AU - no zombies. "They had been married for a week and everyone in town knew about it by now; the whispers and the stares already getting on his nerves." Beth and Daryl's first year of marriage. Part of the "House Call" series.
1. The faint tinkling of piano keys

…

His eyes fluttered open and for a moment, he laid there, wondering what had woken him. His brain felt groggy and he laid there in the bedroom, noting that it was still pitch black both inside and out so he could only guess that it was the middle of the night. It took another passing minute but he then realized that he was laying in their bed alone. That realization was what made him finally lift his head from the pillow. He looked around the dark bedroom as if he was expecting to see her somewhere else in there but the room was empty of her presence.

He then heard the faint tinkling of piano keys and he knew exactly what had woken him up. It wasn't the soft music filtering in from the living room. It was because she had left their bed. A year ago, he wanted nothing more than to always be left alone and now, he couldn't sleep without her.

He sat up, yawning, his brain still tired, and he pulled himself from the bed. His eyes caught the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was a little past one. He wondered how long she had been awake and he wondered how in the hell he hadn't heard her or sensed it the second she got up from bed.

He padded from their bedroom into the living room. The lamp on top of the piano was on, creating a soft glow around her against the darkness of the rest of the room and she sat in one of his flannel shirts, her fingers light and soft on the piano keys.

He stood there for a moment, listening to her play; watching her play. They had been married for a week and everyone in town knew about it by now; the whispers and the stares already getting on his nerves. He wondered how she was handling it. She, after all, had taken a greater risk in marrying him and becoming a Dixon. He could just imagine the shit being said to her about him on a daily basis but she never came home and told him about any of it. Never complained or cried or showed her anger. Everything just seemed to roll off her shoulders in regards to them and this marriage and he didn't understand how she did it but a part of him wasn't really that surprised. That was just who Beth Greene – now Beth Dixon – was.

He shuffled to her and to the piano he had gotten at an estate sale – an upright Kimball that had needed the wood treated and a badly needed tune but when he had gotten it home and showed it to Beth, she had wrapped her arms around him in the tightest hug and had begun to cry, telling him it was the most perfect wedding present. She had moved up here in the middle of the woods to live with him and he wanted her to be happy.

She turned her head and smiled at him when he sat down beside her on the bench, her fingers never stopping their soft tinkling.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she said.

He shook his head. "You didn'," he said. "Guess I can't sleep without you anymore."

She laughed softly at that but didn't say anything and he watched as her fingers flew across the keys, never losing their place in whatever song she was playing. She then began to sing, her words just as soft.

"I remember too/A distant bell/And stars that fell/Like rain/Out of the blue/When my life is through/and the angels ask me to recall/the thrill of them all/then I shall tell them/I remember you."

He watched her as she sang and a small smiling was pulling at the corners of her mouth as she felt his eyes on her. Her words faded off then as her fingers played the last few lingering notes and then her fingers slid from the keys, the last faint echo of the last note hanging in the air. Because he couldn't help himself, he leaned down then and pressed his lips softly to the spot where her shoulder and neck met. Beth closed her eyes and smiled, leaning into him a bit.

"Wanna tell me why you're up?" He asked.

"Just couldn't sleep," she shook her head slightly and she looked at him for a moment before looking down to her hands. "We need to get some groceries," she then said almost in a whisper, as if she was afraid of telling him that. He didn't say anything and Beth looked at him. "It's no problem, Daryl," she then quickly said. "I can go by myself…"

She trailed off and looked back down to her hands. Daryl stared at her and still didn't say anything. They hadn't been in town together yet – not since they had gotten married and everyone found out about them. He hadn't wanted to go where people could see them together and make all of their whispers and judgments right in front of them. He hadn't wanted Beth to have to go through that.

He knew she loved him. The girl had made that fact known to him countless times over the past year since they began. And he didn't doubt that she loved him and that she was happy being married to him. He thought she might be crazy for it but he never doubted it.

But he didn't want everyone to see sweet and young Beth with the dirty redneck who was her husband standing next to her and have everyone staring openly at her and studying her for bruises like the ones his mom used to walk around town sporting. They all thought that because he was a Dixon – son of Will and brother of Merle – he must be doing everything they had done and that included slapping and pushing a woman around.

No one knew that he would cut his hand off before he ever laid it on Beth. Merle had sometimes told him that he had always been the different one. There was something good inside of him that hadn't been in their old man or in Merle, either. It was something that maybe might have been in their mom long before Will Dixon beat it out of her. He was the sweet one, as Merle had said on more than one occasion.

But no one else knew that and he didn't want put Beth through the gossip only a small southern town could provide if she was seen with him. He knew she was already getting enough of that without being seen with him and he knew being married to him wasn't easy on her and he didn't want this life to be hard on her. Being poor and having to count every single penny and go without certain things was hard enough for her – and she had only been doing it a week. She no longer lived in comfort on the farm with her parents taking care of her. She had married a poor man which in turn had made her a poor woman and it wasn't an easy life. She didn't need anything added to it.

But she looked so damn disappointed, as if going grocery shopping with him was all she wanted to do and Daryl found himself always unable to deny her anything. He couldn't give her much and ff he was able to give something to her, he did.

"Okay," he then answered gruffly.

Beth looked at him and a slow, hesitant smile began to form across her lips. "Yeah?"

He nodded once, his eyes never leaving hers. "Yeah."

Beth hugged him then, her arms tight around his neck, and Daryl turned his head and buried his face in her hair.

Aldi opened at seven and at one minute after, Daryl was pushing a cart down the aisle with Beth walking beside him, only the one cashier and the stock boy working that morning in the store with them. Beth had set money aside for their grocery budget that month and she had made a list of everything they needed, studying it closely and grabbing each item as they passed it.

Occasionally, Beth would look at him and give him a small but bright smile and Daryl found himself wanting to give her a small smile in return.

She slid her hand over his on the handlebar of the cart and rubbed her thumb across his skin. He looked down at the simple gold band on her third finger and he told himself – reminded himself – that if she could do something as brave as marry him, he could be brave enough to handle going grocery shopping with her.

…


	2. Welcome to the family, Daryl

**Thank you so much for the response to the first chapter of this story. And just so everyone knows, this is in the _House Call_ universe. Beth and Daryl were married for a year before they got pregnant and also became Luke's guardian so this story is about their first year of marriage.**

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Two.**

"Well, what do you think?" Beth asked them once she had finished the tour, which wasn't much of one seeing as how the house only had four rooms. "Daryl and I have been talking and we're going to paint the inside first and then paint the outside."

Annette looked around the small kitchen. "What colors were you thinking?" She asked, seeing Beth's touches already there although she and Daryl had only been married for less than twenty-four hours. It just reminded her that her daughter had been coming up here to be with Daryl for the past year now.

There were flesh flowers in a vase on the kitchen table, a yellow dishtowel folded over the oven door handle and white curtains hanging on the window over the sink.

"Daryl and I are already going to be looking at paint chips tomorrow but I'm thinking yellow for the kitchen. I've always had this image of someday having a yellow kitchen," Beth said and she was smiling and Annette noticed that Beth hadn't stopped smiling once since she and Hershel had arrived with her things from the farmhouse.

And seeing her daughter so happy, it made Annette smile a little easier, too. She was still getting her head wrapped around the fact that Beth was now married and a Dixon but talking with Daryl outside and now seeing Beth practically glowing, it made the reality of it a little bit easier for her.

Hershel heard the front screen door open behind him and he turned to see Daryl enter, carrying in another box from the truck. He paused and looked at Hershel for a moment before turning and heading into the bedroom. Hershel looked to see Beth leading Annette out the back door to show her the backyard but he followed Daryl instead. The bedroom was small, too, like the rest of the house. Just the bed and a dresser with a mirror hanging on the wall above it and a chair in the corner. Daryl was stacking Beth's boxes in the corner, leaving them there until they figured out what to do with him and he lifted his head when he heard a floorboard creak.

Hershel stood in the doorway and gave a smile to the man who was now his son-in-law. "It's a nice place you have here," he said.

Daryl shook his head though. "It's a piece of shit."

Hershel's lips quirked a little. "You and Beth can make it work here though. You can make it into a home."

Daryl shrugged but didn't say anything else.

"My daughter obviously loves you very much and I can tell that you love her," Hershel said. Daryl said nothing to disagree. "You'll make it work," he said with a firm tone that seemed to leave little room for argument.

Daryl still didn't say anything and Hershel didn't expect him to. His son-in-law was actually a very shy, quiet man – something no one would have ever believed because they heard his last name and just thought they knew everything about him.

"I don't think Beth has a clue into what she got into," Daryl said just as Hershel turned to leave the room. Hershel turned back towards him but Daryl wasn't looking at him, instead studying the floor, finding the carpet far more interesting. "Marryin' me, movin' into this house with me, she has no idea how hard this is gonna be."

Hershel took a step back into the room. "I think Beth knows exactly how hard it will be. Don't underestimate her."

"I told her… the night I asked her to marry me, I told her. We will never have money," Daryl continued. "I'm never gonna have money."

Hershel looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "And you think money is all Beth cares about?"

"I didn't say that," Daryl shook his head, staring at him.

"But you must be thinking that and why shouldn't you? A man wants to take care of his wife," Hershel said. He took steps into the room and settled himself on the foot of the bed. Daryl let out a sigh and leaned back against the dresser, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now I don't know entirely what sort of ceremony that chapel you two went to in Atlanta, but I'm thinking they mentioned for richer or for poorer."

Daryl gave his head the slightest nod, studying the carpet again.

"And I'm guessing that Bethy said I do without hesitating?" Hershel asked.

Again, Daryl nodded his head just once and slight.

"We both know what kind of girl Beth is. If she says something, it's because she wants to and she intends on sticking to her words. You may think this place isn't good enough for her but I bet if you ask her, she'll tell you that all she needs in a home is you," Hershel watched him closely.

Daryl didn't say anything. He kept staring at the rug and Hershel wasn't sure what else to say. He could say so much and yet, he knew that with his son-in-law, none of it would seep into his brain. Not until Daryl was ready for it to.

They heard the back screen door open and then slap shut. A few moments later, Beth came practically bouncing into the room, beaming when she saw Daryl. She came to him and slipped her arms around his waist, smiling up at him. Daryl looked down at her and his lips twitched a little, his arm dropping down around her shoulders, holding her close to his side.

Annette came into the room. "Painting these rooms and getting curtains on the windows, it will amaze you how that will brighten everything."

"Mom and I have been planning things. We have a lot of work to do," Beth told him.

Daryl nodded. "We'll do whatever you want."

Beth smiled and bounced up on her toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Mom bought some food with her so we can eat dinner all together, too."

He nodded again. "Sounds good."

Beth's smile, somehow, seemed to grow even wider, as if she thought he would refuse. Hershel stood up from the bed.

"And your mother and I have also gotten you two a present," he informed them.

"You didn't have to do that, daddy," Beth said.

"Nonsense," Annette gave the couple a smile. "Our youngest daughter only gets married once," she said even though that just that morning, she had been crying about Beth running off and marrying Daryl Dixon. Just within an hour though, her opinion had changed completely of her son-in-law.

"We'll get it and then we can eat dinner together," Hershel said.

He and Annette left to go outside to the truck and when it was just Beth and Daryl, Beth stood in front of him and looped her arms around his neck.

"I don't mean to say that the house is bad now," she said.

He couldn't help but smirk, wanting to laugh, his arms sliding over her hips. "It _is_ a bad house."

"No, it's not," she instantly shook her head. "I love this house."

"So, you've gone blind since we got together?" He joked and she pinched the back of his neck, making him smile and she did her best to give him a stern look. "I told you. We'll do whatever you want to do to the house."

Beth smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling. "You are very good to me," she said.

Daryl stared at her, his face solemn and serious. "I'm tryin'," he said in a soft tone.

Beth looked at him and shook her head slightly before linking her fingers behind his neck and pulling him down so she could press her lips to his. Daryl lifted a hand, cupping the back of her head and he kissed her in return.

They heard the front door open again and Beth gave him one more kiss before breaking away from him and taking his hand, pulled him from their bedroom and meeting her parents in the living room.

"We didn't have time to wrap it," Annette said.

Beth gasped at the box. "I love it! Oh my gosh, Daryl, look!"

He smirked a little. "I see," he said, amused at her enthusiasm though he didn't really share the same one over a vacuum. "Thank you very much," he said to his in-laws.

"We know it's not a lot-" Hershel began to say.

"No, no, it's perfect," Beth said. "Thank you so much. I love it," she wrapped her arms around her mom and Annette laughed a little, hugging her in return.

"We bought it this morning before coming up here," Hershel explained as he and Daryl shook hands. "And since we knew there was no way that you would take a money gift, we thought a vacuum would be the next best thing."

Beth laughed and hugged Hershel next. Annette and Daryl looked at one another and she smiled faintly before going to him and embracing him in her arms. She kissed him on the head and pat him on the back.

"Welcome to the family, Daryl."

Daryl felt himself smiling faintly and he hugged her in return.

…

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading and please review!<strong>


	3. The body of a woman

…

**Chapter Three. **

She felt herself hesitating in the parking lot once she climbed off the bike and Daryl noticed. His hand was light as it rested on the small of her back.

"I can just go in and get somethin' for carry out and bring it back out here," he offered. "We can go eat it somewhere else."

Beth shook her head and smiled faintly up at him. "No, don't be silly. We're here. We're going to eat here," she said and hoped she sounded as confident as she wanted to be in that moment. Daryl just kept staring at her and she did her best to keep looking up at him with her smile intact. "I'm your wife," she then said.

He nodded his head once. "You are."

"And I have no reason to be intimidated or jealous of anyone," she continued.

"Never had a reason to be any of that even before you were my wife," he said.

She smiled a bit easier now and exhaled a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. "I'm sorry. I know you don't really want to do this either," she said, reaching out and finding his hand, linking their fingers together.

He shrugged. "'s fine. Can't stay up in the woods like hermits for the rest of our lives," he said.

"Yeah, but you wish we could," she laughed, teasing him.

He smirked and said nothing to deny it.

She took another deep breath and looked back to the brightly lit diner ahead of them. She could feel his eyes watching her and without a word, she began walking forward, pulling him along with her. He followed after her without a word and when they reached the entrance, he opened the door for and she smiled up at him before stepping inside.

There were a few other patrons in the diner that night – some glanced in their direction before going back to their meals, not even caring, but others openly watched the couple. Daryl took the lead now and he led them to a booth in the back corner next to the window. She sat on one side and he sat down across from her on the other and immediately grabbed a menu, opening it and keeping his head down.

Beth tried to get her stomach to unknot. This was no big deal. They were here and they were going to eat dinner and yes, some people were looking at them but for the most part, it seemed like no one really cared. She didn't really understand why she and Daryl were all that interesting anyway. She knew they lived in a small town in the South where people thrived on gossip but surely, there was a better "scandal" to talk about with one another over their fences than Beth and Daryl getting married.

She saw the waitress, Amy, behind the counter and she was pretending she didn't see the couple. She knew Amy had had a thing for Daryl and she more than likely still did but Daryl being Daryl, he had been completely oblivious to her feelings and Beth knew that Amy was probably blindsided when it was made public that Daryl and Beth were together.

Beth was the most nervous to have interaction with Amy tonight. She couldn't imagine how it would feel to be in love with someone and have them suddenly get married before you realized you never had a shot with them. She honestly half-expected Amy to pour water in her lap and say it was an accident.

"You know what you want?" Daryl asked, breaking through her thoughts.

Beth's eyes flew to him to see him looking at her. "I haven't even looked," she said and he pushed his menu across the table towards her. "I don't know if I'm hungry," she then admitted.

"You wanted to come out to dinner," he said, frowning a little, confused.

"I know. I guess… I just wanted to show people that we _could_ come out to dinner."

Daryl didn't say anything to that and even if he was going to, Amy came up to their table then and set down the glass of Coke that Daryl always ordered when he was there. She looked to Beth, not smiling but not frowning either. Her face seemed completely blank as she looked down at the other blonde.

"Want something to drink?" She asked.

"Iced tea," Beth heard herself answer.

Amy nodded her head once and walked away. Beth couldn't help but watch after her. She could admit to herself that she was jealous of Amy's body. She had the body of a woman – curves and breasts – and Beth had neither of those things.

"Stop," she then heard Daryl say.

She exhaled a heavy sigh and nodded her head. "I'm sorry," she apologized, her eyes sliding back to him.

He shrugged. "Don't gotta apologize. Just stop bein' so damn nervous. If either of us should be, it should be me. People here thinkin' I carried you off over my shoulder against your will like some Neanderthal."

She smiled at that. "Very big word for you, Mr. Dixon."

"I saw it on TV," he said, his lips twitching in a smile and she laughed then, feeling the clenching in her stomach lessen a bit.

When Amy returned to the table, she set the glass of iced tea down in front of Beth and then pulled out her ordering pad. "Know what you want?" She asked.

Daryl looked to Beth.

"I'll just have a grilled cheese and French fries," she said.

"Coulda had that at home," Daryl muttered and Beth nudged his leg with her foot beneath the table. He smirked in response.

"Your usual, Daryl?" Amy asked, looking at him.

He nodded without a word and Amy left the table again, Beth exhaling a puff of relieved air when she did.

Daryl looked at her. "You know I never had anythin' with her, right?"

"I know. I didn't think that for a minute and even if you did, you were a free man before me. You could do anything with anyone that you wanted. I just… I don't know." She swallowed then before she made an attempt at explaining. "Amy looks more like the woman a man like you should be married to."

Daryl just kept looking at her and she felt herself laugh slightly, her face warm.

"It makes sense in my head," she said.

He smirked at that but then shook his head after a moment. "Gettin' married to someone never even crossed my mind once 'fore I met you so that makes me think I wasn' supposed to marry anyone except you."

Beth looked at him, her face melting in a smile. "You are the sweetest man I have ever met, Daryl Dixon," she told him.

"Don't be lettin' anyone else over hear you say that. It'll ruin their Neanderthal image they have of me," he said.

"Oh, no one would believe me even if they did overhear me," she smiled. "You are a Dixon, after all."

"So are you," he reminded her. "Better start gettin' drunk and throwin' shit around."

"I don't think I'll do that," Beth shook her head as if she had actually considered it. "You're the Dixon I know the best and I follow your example as to how a Dixon should act. I've never seen you drunk and throw things."

"Never will either," Daryl shook his head.

"I know," she assured him in a soft, gentle voice. "I'm sure though, as your wife, I will begin hating people," she then teased him, lightening the mood over their table.

He broke into an easy smirk. "You're a smart girl most of the time. Should 'ave been hatin' people long before you married me."

She laughed at that and Amy returned, setting their plates of food down in front of them before leaving again without another word.

Daryl grabbed the ketchup bottle and lifting the top bun of his cheeseburger, he squirted a bit onto it. He then capped the bottle and returned it to its holder, knowing that Beth didn't like to eat her fries with ketchup. Beth took a napkin and unfolding it, she draped it over her lap and then reached over to Daryl's plate, taking the pickle slice, popping it into her mouth like a chip. Daryl didn't protest, knowing she loved pickles, and he held his burger with both hands as he took a large bite.

They ate for a few minutes in companionable silence with no one bothering them and Beth couldn't hear any more whispers directed their way.

"Thank you for taking me out to dinner," Beth said as she munched on a fry, watching him eat. She leaned forward and wiped at a drop of ketchup clinging to the corner of his mouth.

He nodded his head and took another bite of cheeseburger.

"Do you think Amy would like Merle? Maybe those two could be good together," Beth said thoughtfully as she chewed another fry.

Daryl just smirked though and shook his head. "I 'ave a feelin' Amy would take Merle, chew him up and spit him out again."

Beth smiled and wiped her fingers on the napkin in her lap. "Most of the time, I feel like that's exactly what your brother needs."

…

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><p><strong>Thank you very much for reading and please review!<strong>


	4. A Montana life

**I love this chapter so much.**

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Four.**

He didn't have a particular destination in mind. He just drove down whichever road he chose with Beth's arms tight around his waist, the motorcycle's engine loudly roaring in his ears.

It was Sunday – their free day – and they could go anywhere they wanted and do anything they wanted and Hershel and Annette had a family dinner every Sunday evening at their house but Beth had already called them and told them they wouldn't be coming this week. Daryl had yet to go to one of those family dinners even though Annette called every week, making sure he knew he was invited. Beth never pressured him to come with her though he knew she wanted him to. He may have been married to Beth and Hershel and Annette may have welcomed him into their family but he didn't feel all that comfortable in their home still. And Maggie so outright hating him did nothing to help make him feel like he was wanted there.

Beth had woken up that morning to a beautiful spring day and she had asked if they could go for a ride on his motorcycle. She had packed them a picnic and when he asked her where she wanted to go, she had just smiled and said anywhere in the world. Daryl had smiled a little in return and climbed onto his bike, feeling her climb behind him, he wishing he could actually take her anywhere in the world.

They stopped for gas about an hour into their journey and Beth got off the bike to stretch her legs. He watched her as she raised her arms over her head, her shirt riding up a little and exposing a slip of pale smooth stomach to him. The gas station appeared to be in the middle of nowhere – open fields surrounding them for miles – and they were the only patrons there at the moment.

Knowing he had been looking, Beth smiled and went to him, looping her arms up around his neck and pressing her body to his. Daryl looked down to her, his own hands coming to a rest on her hips, holding them a little tightly, keeping her close.

"Do you want to move?" She asked him rather suddenly and unexpectedly.

He didn't show that he was caught off guard with the question though. He just looked at her. "Do _you_ want to move?" He asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "I asked you first."

"Where would we go?"

"That's kind of the beauty of the thing. We can go wherever we want. Somewhere where they have no idea who we are. Montana or Wyoming or some other place like that."

"So, you'd want to move west?"

"We could even move to Alaska," she smiled.

He smirked at that. "We're from Georgia. We'd freeze our asses off in Alaska."

She smiled, too, her fingers playing with the hair on the back of his head. "Maybe but we're Dixons. We're tough."

He looked down at her, his own hand slipping to the back of her head. Without a word, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her. He felt her smiling against his before kissing him back and he knew she loved when he initiated a kiss between them. Most of the time, it was Beth who grabbed him first for a kiss but he had to keep reminding himself that this woman was his wife and he had ever right in the world to kiss her if that was what he wanted to do.

He supposed he was still getting used to the fact that he had someone who was wanting kisses from him.

After paying for the gas and a small bag of Hershey Kisses – Beth's favorite – they started off again, heading in the same random direction and heading towards the horizon line in front of them.

He stopped another hour later and that was only because his stomach was rumbling. He pulled off the road to an open field and a lone tree and Beth climbed off, reaching in the bag he had on the side of his bike. She pulled out a blanket and shook it out before spreading it on the ground and Daryl pulled out the small cooler of food she had packed, starving for whatever she had fixed for them to eat.

They sat on the blanket, sunlight streaming in through the leaves overhead and a light, cool breeze blowing. It was quiet around them except for birds chirping and Beth looked around, smiling faintly to herself.

"It feels like we're the only people in the world out here," she said.

"Wouldn' hear me complainin' if that was true," he replied.

She smiled and looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "We would be okay if that happened," she said. "If tomorrow, we wake up and it was just us, we would be more than okay."

"Been takin' care of myself for a long time," he shrugged, looking off to the side as if something caught his attention. "Could take care of you, too."

"You do take care of me, Daryl," Beth said, putting a hand on his thigh. "Better than anyone ever has. And I want to start taking care of you, too."

He looked at her again, his brow furrowed, confused. "You do."

She smiled at that as if she hadn't known that already and leaned in, kissing him this time, quick on the lips before pulling back and reaching into the bag.

"The tuna salad I made yesterday," she said, pulling out the plastic container. "Rolls, potato chips, grapes and Hershey kisses for dessert." She set the food out on the blanket and then pulled out two cans of Coke.

He looked at it all for a moment and then looked at her. "Looks great."

She smiled then as if she had been worried he wouldn't like it at all.

"I haven't been on a picnic in so long," she said as they began eating.

"Ain't never been on one," he said quietly.

"Well you can't say that anymore," she said with a small smile and he looked at her, feeling himself smiling, too.

"What would our life be like in Montana?" He asked.

She laughed a little and her cheeks blushed for some reason. "Well, you would work on a ranch. Naturally. Cowboy hat and all."

"Can't really picture myself in a cowboy hat," Daryl said, frowning as he tried to picture that image, and she laughed again.

"And I would proudly wear one of those shirts – Save a horse. Ride a cowboy."

The tips of his ears turned a little red at that and she laughed once more before leaning in, bringing her face closer to his, and Daryl lifted his hands, sliding them over her cheeks, pulling her in the rest of the way and kissing her first.

They ate and afterwards, he laid on his back and Beth laid perpendicular to him, her head resting on his stomach. The sun was getting lower in the sky but they still had a few more hours of daylight and neither were in a hurry to leave.

"We'd have a small house in Montana just like we do now. I love our small house," she said. "And it would be right next to a creek where we could go fishing and there would be mountains nearby. We would look out our window and they would be right there. And it would be just us for miles but instead of being in the woods, there would be this endless openness around us."

His fingers played with the ends of strands of her hair and his eyes stared up at the leaves dancing lightly in the wind.

"And it would be so beautiful, every day I would wake up and open our front door and it would take my breath away," she continued, now talking a bit quieter. "And everyone would know us as Daryl and Beth Dixon and that would be that. We would be just like any other married couple and our last name wouldn't mean anything to anyone. It would never define who we are."

Daryl was quiet for a few minutes, allowing the images her words painted to roll around in his brain. "Montana sounds pretty good," he then commented. "When do you want to go?"

She smiled faintly and turned her head to the side to look to his face. "Thought you didn't want to wear a cowboy hat?"

He shrugged, smirking a little. "Don't know if you've realized this yet but I do a lot of shit for you I wouldn' usually do." She laughed softly and rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin on his chest, his fingers still toying with her hair. "And no one said that I would have to wear one just 'cause I work on a ranch. I can't imagine them carin' that much. But workin' on a ranch would be good. Keep my hands busy."

"And think of all of the hunting you could do out there," she said, smiling, loving that he was playing along with this.

"And what would you do with yourself in Montana?" He asked.

"I'd be a country singer, of course," she smiled. "Standing on a little stage in some bar with my guitar. And every night when you were done with work, you would come and sit at the bar and drink a bottle of beer and watch me sing."

His lips twitched upwards. "Sounds like a good life."

"The best life," she said firmly as if there was no room for argument.

"So, when do you want to go?" He asked. The wind picked up slightly and a strand of hair blew across her face. He brushed it back to her and she smiled.

"Tomorrow," she answered.

"You got it," he said without hesitating and he smiled a little when she laughed softly. She then pushed herself up and crashed her lips against his and his hands held onto her head, kissing her back and not wanting her to go anywhere.

Not without him.

…

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading and please review!<strong>


	5. The swear jar

**I really need to write some Beth/Daryl fluff right now. I drove to work today and was listening to "Julie" and then I started getting all teary-eyed thinking of Beth. Fluff, right now, is necessary. **

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Five. **

"What is that?" Daryl frowned at the glass Mason jar on the kitchen counter with a piece of twine tied around the top that hadn't been there just that morning.

Beth smiled at him as if she was so happy that he had asked about it. "It's a swear jar," she told him and he looked at her, wondering if he was supposed to know what the hell that was. She laughed then, seeing his obvious confusion. "Every time you say a swear word, you have to drop a dime in the jar," she explained.

Daryl stared at it for a moment as if the mere sight of it was offending him somehow. He kept frowning and he looked at her. "Are you sayin' I swear too much?"

"Yes," Beth answered without hesitation.

Daryl was still frowning. He knew he said curse words but it wasn't something he ever really thought about it. He had been cursing since he was probably old enough to start talking. It was all he ever heard – from his mom and Merle and his old man. He had never thought anything wrong with it and no one had told him otherwise.

But he was married to Beth now and he had to remind himself that Beth didn't come from where he came from – as if that was something he could forget. She was raised by Hershel Greene and went to church every Sunday, even singing in the choir. She was the girl who said "heck" and "dang it" instead of something more colorful.

"I'm sorry," he then said, mumbling a bit. "Didn' mean to make you uncomfortable."

Beth smiled though and shook her head. "Don't be sorry. And I'm not trying to change you," she said quickly as if to assure him. "Cursing is just what you do. I just… maybe a little less of it?" She suggested with a deep blush spreading across her face as if she felt embarrassed for even mentioning it to him.

"Yeah," he nodded without hesitating and Beth burst into a smile.

…

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><p>He lost two dollars to the swear jar in the first couple of days, which only made him want to swear more. Each time he dropped a dime in to join the others, he grumbled and he began to wonder if he was swearing more now because this jar existed and it was just provoking him.<p>

But he was honest about it. Every time he let one fly, he grumbled but he dutifully dropped a dime into the jar, listening to it drop and clang against the others already gathered there. And he saw Beth's faint smile every time he did though she never said anything about it.

She, honestly, was a little surprised he was going through with it. She knew how stubborn he could be and how, if he didn't want to do something, there was no way anyone – not even her – could make him do it. She knew that forfeiting his change to a swear jar wasn't important to him at all and yet, each time one slipped past his lips, he went to the jar without a word and dropped a dime in. He even kept count when he was at work, coming home and dropping quarters or dollars – if it was a particularly stressful day at the garage.

"Lil' wife has you on a tight leash, baby brother," Merle laughed when he came over and saw the jar, asking Daryl about it as Daryl worked on his motorcycle outside.

Daryl didn't answer because he knew the answer and he wasn't in the mood for Merle's taunts that afternoon. Yeah, Beth had reigned him in but he didn't see the problem with that. Before her, he was just sort of drifting around with not much going on in his life. But meeting Beth and falling for Beth and marrying Beth, it was the best thing to ever happen to him. It had given him this whole life he had never even imagined having for himself and it was because of that woman inside the house so if she wanted him to curse a little less, he would try his best to tone it down.

For her.

Merle then made a whipping sound and Daryl didn't say anything though he wanted to snap at his brother that at least he had someone who gave a damn about trying to make him into a better person but Merle would just laugh at that and probably not understand a damn thing Daryl was saying to him.

"Maybe she'll put your balls in the next mason jar she buys," Merle laughed again and Daryl just sighed without saying anything.

"How are you doin' with that jar, son?" Hershel asked one night he and Beth were at the farm because Beth was helping Annette bake cookies for the church bake sale that weekend and Daryl was helping Hershel with the lawnmower that was refusing to start for some reason.

"Losin' a small fortune to it," Daryl muttered and Hershel laughed heartily.

"My first wife, Joanna, implemented the swear jar on me during our first year of marriage," Hershel told him.

"How'd you do with it?" Daryl asked as he began carefully taking apart the engine.

"Well, I don't swear anymore so I think I did pretty good with it," Hershel smiled. "Me and Annette think it's very sweet of you to be doing this for Bethy."

Daryl didn't say anything as he concentrated on the task at hand. But then after a moment, he glanced up to his father-in-law before lowering his eyes back down to the lawnmower. "Just tryin' to make her happy. Wanna show her she didn't completely screw her life up with these choices she made."

Hershel just kept smiling and he shook his head slightly. It never ceased to amaze him just how thick-headed and stubborn his son-in-law could be at times.

…

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><p>At the end of having the swear jar on the counter for one month, Beth began counting all of the money that he had put inside. He came in from cleaning his crossbow to see the money in neat small piles on the kitchen table and he looked at it for a moment before looking to her.<p>

She gave him a small smile. "Almost forty-two dollars," she told him. "$41.30."

He smirked and sat down across from her. "What are we gonna do with it?"

"Your choice. It's your money," she said.

He was quiet, thinking it over as he looked at her. He knew the responsible thing would be to put it into their savings account at the bank and not touch any of it.

"We should go out," he said.

Beth couldn't help but be surprised, definitely having not been expecting that. "Out?" She then said as if she had never heard the word before.

He just smiled a little at her. "Yeah. Out," he nodded and with that, he swept all of the money back into the jar and stood up, smiling as she laughed when he took her hand and tugged her towards the door.

Their town was small and there weren't a ton of restaurants to choose from but he knew that even though they usually went to the diner, he wanted something else tonight. As Beth said, it was his choice and he pulled the truck into the parking lot of the Terminus Tavern. It opened a couple of years ago – the more upscale drinking establishment in town – and he had never been for that very reason.

Beth smiled as he took her hand again and inside, there was actually a hostess to greet them and show them to their booth. It definitely wasn't like any bar he had been to but that was the point. He would never take Beth to an actual bar.

The tavern had low mood lighting and heavy tables and booths made of dark wood. An old country song was playing from the ceiling and there was a soft murmur of people talking rather than glasses smashing and fist fights breaking out.

Their waitress arrived, handing them menus and asking if they wanted anything to drink. Beth ordered a cherry coke and Daryl ordered a bottle of Miller.

Beth laughed softly as she looked at him and held up her glass. "To you and this wonderful evening out that your foul language has treated us to."

Daryl smirked and clinked his bottle against her glass. "It was a good idea," he told her and she smiled. "And bein' the genius behind the plan, you get to order anythin' on the menu you want."

She laughed at that, a little louder. "And people don't think you're a sweet man."

"Only to you," he said with a slight smirk.

She ordered them mozzarella cheese sticks for an appetizer and then the fish and chips platter for herself. Daryl ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and a side of okra which Beth wound up eating most of. He realized as they ate and Beth took up most of the conversation that they had never done this before. They had gone to the diner a couple of times but they had never been out to a nicer restaurant like this on what could be called nothing else but a date.

He looked at Beth and she was smiling and her eyes were glowing and she looked so damn happy just being out with him for an evening. And as she kept smiling, he felt himself smiling, too, and he realized that going out with her on dates wasn't so bad. Had he convinced himself that it was?

When they had first met and started seeing one another, they definitely had never done anything like this. They had kept their relationship a secret and then they had gotten married and they still mostly kept to themselves. Everyone in town knew they were married and he drove her to work every morning and picked her up every evening but they still didn't do this. Go out and be a married couple in public.

Just with Beth's blinding smile though and her soft, light laughter, Daryl realized how much he was missing out on.

He had to start taking his wife out on more dates.

And though he knew she would hate it – and he was getting better about not doing it nearly as much – he would have to continue cursing so he could get some money saved so he could take her out somewhere even nicer next time.

…

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading and please review!<strong>


	6. Beth's birthday

**Like _House Call_ and _Orange Sky_, this story doesn't necessarily have a storyline it is following. It rather is just snapshots of Beth and Daryl during their first year of marriage. **

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Six. **

They had driven to work separately that morning, Daryl telling her that he had to do something after work but when she asked him what it was, he had just shook his head and told her that he would tell her later. When she had smiled and asked if it was for her birthday, he hadn't said anything; just shook his head again but she had gotten good at reading him and knew that it was and all day, she spent it in anticipation, wondering what he had done for her. She hoped nothing extravagant.

She had been in such a good mood all day. She always was on her birthday. Her parents had invited her and Daryl over for a birthday dinner that evening but Beth had declined, thanking them but she wanted to just spend time alone with Daryl. She wondered what he was planning because he was obviously planning something if he had had them drive one another to work separately that morning.

She was in such a good mood but then Maggie had come into the daycare center to take her out for a birthday lunch but that had turned into Maggie shouting at Beth that she had married a wife beater. She and Maggie hadn't spoken in months – not since her marriage to Daryl became public knowledge – and it was because of this.

Maggie hated Daryl. Absolutely hated him. She listened to all of the stories that involved those with the Dixon name and assumed that Daryl was just like him. She had made no effort in getting to know him and Beth couldn't understand why her sister didn't trust her with her decisions. Daryl wasn't like that and if he was, she wouldn't have fallen in love with him and she certainly wouldn't have married him.

But that didn't matter to Maggie. She saw a bruise on Beth's thigh and couldn't believe that Beth had just been a klutz. She saw it and immediately accused Daryl of beating her and yelling at Beth to stop defending him.

Beth had been so upset the rest of the day, always feeling like she was on the verge of tears though she did her best to hide it from the kids but she had never been more happy to see the end of the day and taking the bouquet of flowers Lori had given her, she went home, finally letting the tears stream down her face.

At home, Daryl wasn't there yet and after putting the flowers in some water and setting the vase on the table, she went into the bedroom to change from her work clothes into one of Daryl's flannel shirts – her favorite sleep attire. She laid down on their bed, curling into a ball on her side and crying into her pillow. She tried not to let it bother her but she couldn't help it. It wasn't just Maggie. It was everyone.

Almost everyone in town had their comments and opinions and judgments and they all thought they knew what was best for her. They thought they knew exactly who Daryl was even though almost everyone in town had never spoken with him before. They just knew him because of his last name and Beth was honest. His last name had always been so intimidating and frightening to her because she had heard so many stories of the Dixons and they were never good stories.

But she saw him come out of the woods one sunny afternoon and she looked at him and he looked at her and just like that, within an instant, at first sight, she fell in love.

Her husband was a good man. The best man. He was quiet and kept to himself and he could be so shy; even adorably awkward at times. He worked hard and since they got married, he made sure he did everything to make sure she was taken care of. And he took the best care of her. She had never felt as loved as she did when she was with Daryl. Meeting him and marrying him were the best things to ever happen to her. And she loved him so much, she sometimes felt like she couldn't even handle it.

And people in town were always looking at her, looking for fresh bruises because he was a Dixon so he was surely beating her every night. They didn't know. They had absolutely no idea and they infuriated her and she hated them all.

Maggie was her sister. They loved one another and had spent their lives being one another's best friends and confidants. Why couldn't Maggie see in Daryl what Beth did? Why was Maggie so convinced of something that wasn't true and never would be? She knew her sister could be so stubborn most of the time and Maggie had a slightly superior attitude, always thinking she was better than most, but did she really think that she could think so horribly of Daryl and Beth would alright with it?

She heard the roar of an approaching motorcycle outside but she didn't get up from the bed and even as she tried to stop crying, she couldn't.

Daryl entered the house and she heard him go the kitchen first, setting something down on the table, and then he appeared in their doorway. She hated crying in front of him – no matter what it was about, he always blamed himself – but this time, she couldn't help herself and just seeing him there, she began to actually cry harder.

Daryl didn't seem to hesitate. He toed out of his boots and then got onto the bed behind her, his body curving around hers and his arms wrapping around her. She closed her eyes and felt the familiar weight and warmth of his body and that was all she needed. Having him there with her, holding her, it was more than enough.

She wasn't sure how long she cried but Daryl never left her side and he never asked why she was crying on their bed on her birthday. Maybe he already knew.

Eventually though, her tears stopped and she laid there, trying to breathe again.

"Want some water?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Don't go," she said, holding his arm around her.

"'m not goin' anywhere," he said and she could feel him shaking her head.

They continued to lay there and she exhaled a deep breath and then another.

"Maggie and I got into a fight," she said in a whisper. "She came to take me out to lunch for my birthday but she saw that nasty bruise on my thigh."

She didn't say more and she knew Daryl didn't need her to. How could he stand it? She didn't understand. How could he stand knowing what everyone thought of him and what they thought he did to her?

She rolled onto her back then, looking up at Daryl, and he looked down at her, staying silent but his eyes intently focused on her. She lifted a hand and brushed her thumb along his cheek. His own hand came to her face, the thumb brushing back and forth along the apple of her cheek and he then leaned down, kissing her softly. One kiss led to another and then another and he was holding back but she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him to her, showing him that this was just what she both wanted and needed from him.

Daryl broke away though. "I wanna give you your birthday present," he told her.

"I thought you were giving it to me," she teased him and he smirked even though she could see the tips of his ears turning red. She laughed softly and pulled him down for another kiss, her hands sweeping up under his shirt.

He pushed himself up on his knees and tugged the shirt off, tossing it aside, but then he took her hands, pulling her into a sitting position. "Come on. Present first and then this after," he said and she laughed softly again as he pulled her from the bed.

They left the bedroom and in the living room, he gently pushed her down so she was sitting on the coffee table.

"Close your eyes," he ordered her and then waited to see that she actually would. She smiled a little and closed her eyes and she heard him go into the kitchen. She kept her eyes closed when she heard him kneel down in front of her. "Okay," he said and she instantly opened them, looking.

In his hands, he held a paper plate with one single cupcake on it with a candle stuck in the middle. She looked at it for a moment, hardly believing it, and then she looked at him, curious and laughing a little.

"I went to see your mom after work. Showed me how to make this. Said it's your favorite. Yellow cupcake with chocolate frosting," he explained and he looked so nervous, staring down at the cupcake rather than look at her.

Beth looked at the top of his head and felt a wave of tears rush into her eyes. She looked down at the cupcake, at the sloppy frosty and somewhat crooked cupcake, and she looked to him again. Her heart thudded in her chest and her stomach twisted in a knot so painfully, it almost hurt but it was the best kind of ache she had ever felt. This was the only kind of pain he ever gave her.

How could anyone ever think he treated her less than the most important person in the world? How could people look at him and see the way he looked at her and think that he actually beat her? How couldn't they ever see the man he truly was?

"Daryl," she said his name so softly, it was as if she was saying it in a prayer.

He finally lifted his head and looked at her. He looked so nervous and so unsure and it only made her want to smile and cry all at the same time. Instead, she slid a hand onto his cheek and without a word, she pressed her lips to his in the softest kiss, hoping he would be able to know everything she would say to him if she wasn't so overwhelmed by him in that moment.

He edged closer to her on his knees and his hands slid onto the sides of her thighs.

"It'll probably taste awful," he warned her. "Should 'ave just bought one from the store," he said but she rapidly shook her head, cutting him off.

"This is the best cupcake I've ever seen," she told him. He just smirked and didn't say anything to that. She leaned in and kissed him again. "Can we eat this in bed?" She asked, her eyes practically sparkling.

Daryl smirked, his ear tips red again. "'s your birthday. Can do anything you want."

She laughed a little. "Anything?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"'s your birthday," he said again. "I'm definitely doin' that for you."

Beth laughed again and throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him and she could feel him smiling against her lips.

…

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading and please review!<strong>


	7. Breakfast

**Hopefully, this site doesn't crap out on us again today. **

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Seven. **

"My dad will be here soon," Beth moaned and it was such a ridiculous thing to say in that moment considering Daryl was between her thighs, pumping himself in and out of her in what had become their weekly Sunday morning tradition. They were newlyweds and they did this often but Sunday mornings was their day. No work, no errands or chores to do. Nothing to get up for. Just this – them in their bed and staying here for as long as they wanted.

She gasped as he bent down then and his lips brushed across one of her pert nipples before his lips fastened around it, sucking gently. Her back arched and she gripped his hair, his name escaping her in a moan.

There was one thing in particular that Beth loved about living in the middle of woods with no one else around for miles. She could be as loud as she wanted to be. And with her legs spread and Daryl between them, her inner thighs rubbing against his hips as he pounded into her and connected their bodies as close as two humans could be, Beth always had a tendency to get a bit loud.

"Daryl," she gasped his name again and wrapped her legs around his waist, holding onto him as tightly as she could and she heard him grunting, their bodies rubbing together with delicious friction that made the cries broken from her throat.

And then his hand had dived in between them and it felt as if the instant he touched her, her back was bowing sharply from the bed and she was crying out so loudly, it echoed in their ears and bounced off the walls of their small bedroom. She was so busy with her own orgasm, she didn't even feel him go through his own until he had collapsed on top of her, their skin each with a sheen layer of sweat, sticking together. They laid there in the after, both trying to catch their breaths and her fingers light on his back. She turned her head and nuzzled her nose to his ear.

"My dad will be here soon," she then said again, softer, and he grunted something against her neck she couldn't figure out. "You're not going to cancel on him, are you?"

Daryl lifted his head only to frown down at her. "Why'd I do somethin' like that?"

She gave him a small smile and shook her head, her hands gliding over his shoulders. "You wouldn't. I just know he's really looking forward to this."

"Jus' breakfast," he shrugged, trying to be casual about the whole thing.

The truth was, it was a pretty big deal. Sunday breakfast with the father-in-law. He knew the reason Hershel was doing this was because Daryl didn't want to go to the Sunday family dinners he and Annette had every week at the farm. He was invited, of course, and he knew Beth always wanted him to go but he couldn't see himself, sitting at the table in the dining room, being a part of the Greene family and having Maggie sit across from him and glaring at him for an entire meal.

He loved Beth more than breathing but he couldn't see how he would be able to handle something like that without losing his shit and ruining everything for her.

It still boggled his mind that not only did he have a wife but he had a father-in-law who more or less approved of him. Hell, some days it seemed like Hershel even liked him. And he honestly had no idea why because Hershel lived in the same town as they did and heard what everyone said about him – especially after marrying Beth – but Hershel just smiled every time he saw him as if Daryl Dixon was exactly the man he would have chosen for Beth himself.

After kissing Beth for a few more minutes, he reluctantly pulled himself away from her, leaving her naked in their bed, and went to take a quick five-minute shower and when he came back into the bedroom again to get dressed, he saw that she had turned around on the bed so her feet was braced on the wall above their headboard.

"Whatcha doin'?" He asked as he tugged on a pair of boxers.

"I hear it helps if you elevate your hips afterwards. Something about the sperm or something," Beth smiled a little, turning her head to him.

He found himself smirking. "Didn' think we were tryin' yet."

"We're not," she shook her head in agreement. "We are definitely letting nature take its course. I just want to show your sperm what it should be doing when it decides it's time to do something."

He had no idea what to say or do to that except smirk again and shake his head. He tugged on a pair of blue jeans and grabbed a flannel shirt just as they heard a car approaching the house. Beth hurried out of the bed to pull on a pair of underwear from the top dresser drawer and her housecoat from the closet, cinching the belt around her waist. She cast a glance at her reflection and tried to tame her hair. Her daddy may have been older, married twice and was a veterinarian but she still didn't need him to know what she and Daryl had just been doing minutes earlier.

"Done elevatin'?" He asked and she just shot him a look – which caused him to give a rare grin – and he followed her from the bedroom as she went to the front door.

"Hi, daddy," Beth greeted, sounding breathless.

Hershel smiled as he stepped into the house. "Morning Bethy," he said with a kiss to her head. "Sorry about being a little late. Reverend Thompson had quite a long sermon this morning."

"Last night was a long one, too," Beth nodded, who had begun going to Saturday evening services at the church so she could have her Sunday mornings with Daryl.

"Well, son, you ready?" Hershel asked, looking to Daryl, who had sat down on the couch to tug on and lace his boots.

Daryl nodded without a word and stood up, grabbing his keys and wallet. He leaned down and gave Beth a light kiss, not wanting to do anything more than that in front of her daddy, and Beth looked up at him, beaming and so damn happy about this and knowing that he was doing something that made Beth happy, he smiled a little, too.

The diner in town was a bit crowded with the breakfast crowd that morning so Daryl and Hershel wound up sitting at the counter on two of the swivel stools. The waitress – Rosita – flashed them both smiles as she filled their cups with coffee. Rosita was one of those in town who never looked at Daryl sideways just because he was a Dixon. Her own family didn't have the best reputation either and she used to spend a little time around him – back when Merle wasn't locked up and her boyfriend at the time, Abraham, would hang out with Merle, an old army buddy.

"You handsome fellas know what you'd like?" She smiled again, pulling out her ordering pad and pencil.

They both ordered eggs and bacon with a side of hash browns and once Rosita had gone to fill in their order, Daryl could see Hershel from the corner of his eye take a sip of coffee and then turn his head towards Daryl.

"There's no reason to be nervous, Daryl," the older man said.

"I ain't," he instantly refuted with a shake of his head. "Just don't like feelin' all of these eyes on my backside," he said and he had definitely felt them from more than one person since he had walked into the diner behind well-liked and well-respected Hershel Greene. He was just waiting for one of these people to come up to Hershel and ask him again for the countless time – right in front of Daryl – why he had let this trashy and dirty red-neck marry his daughter.

"Probably just jealous of you, son. They all know you were making love to a beautiful woman this morning and most of these men probably haven't even seen so much as their wife's ankle in years," Hershel chuckled.

Daryl smirked into his coffee cup at that even as he felt his ears burn a bright red, not liking the idea of Hershel knowing what he did to his daughter that morning.

"Gonna make me a grandpa anytime soon?" Hershel then switched topics. "I know Shawn will probably never get married and Maggie's sneaking around with a boy she thinks I don't know about but Maggie is rarely serious about anyone she's dating and Annette has started to look at baby clothes every time we're in a store. I'd like to be able to enjoy at least one grandchild before I leave this earth."

Daryl frowned at him. "You're not goin' anywhere."

Hershel chuckled again. "Not for a long time," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean I don't want grandchildren sooner rather than later."

"So, this was your plan," Daryl slid into another smirk. "Take me out to breakfast and talk to me about knockin' your daughter up."

"I'm a selfish man, what can I say?" Hershel joked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Daryl was quiet for a few moments and took another sip of his coffee. "Beth and me are just enjoyin' the first year, it bein' just us. I know she wants kids someday though."

"And what about you?" Hershel looked at him.

Daryl shrugged. "Just wanna make her happy."

"You do," Hershel said without hesitation.

Their breakfasts arrived and after Rosita made sure they didn't need anything else, they both began eating – first in silence but Hershel was never the sort to keep quiet.

"You'll be a good dad whenever you and Beth do decide to have children," Hershel told him and Daryl felt the breath catch in his throat.

He had no idea how Hershel did that; how Hershel would have any sort of clue as to the truth festering in Daryl's head; that the only reason he was hesitant in ever having babies with Beth is because his own sonofabitch ol' man who beat him for sport and tried to break down every single thing inside of him; how he was scared that he would be just like that even if he didn't want to be; how he thought of that fucking cursed Dixon blood and not wanting to pass it onto another child.

Daryl slowly turned his head and looked at his father-in-law and he wanted to ask him all of those things and tell him all of those things but he never would. There would be too many words and things he hadn't even confided in Beth about yet.

And then again, as if he could just read his mind, Hershel just gave him a smile.

"Yes, sir. A _great_ dad," Hershel corrected himself before chomping down on a piece of bacon.

A great dad. Daryl nearly snorted. What did he knew about any sort of dad, especially a great one? Wasn't like he had any sort of gleaming example in his life he could draw knowledge from.

But he looked at Hershel and he knew, right then, that when the time came when Beth was pregnant, he could always look to Hershel for the answers. And the way Hershel looked at him again and smiled a little, maybe he was counting on that, too.

…

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><p><strong>Thank you very much for reading and please review!<strong>


	8. Dixon history

**I can't decide how long I want this story to be. I have ideas for more chapters but I was thinking maybe just having this one have ten chapters. I don't know. **

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Eight.**

It was bound to happen. Of course it was. It didn't matter how much two people loved each other. Of course they were going to have disagreements and fights and as Daryl stormed off into the woods with his crossbow and Beth drove to her parents' farm, it was decided they needed to be apart to fume angrily in their own corners.

Beth cracked the egg on the side bowl forcefully, Annette watching her as the anger seemed to radiate off of her. One, two, three and she tossed the egg shells into the trash before going to the sink to wash her hands again of the raw egg slime. Annette didn't say anything, choosing her moment wisely as to when she would. Beth had stormed into the house and had gone straight to the kitchen, pulling out the butter and the eggs from the refrigerator. When Beth was pissed, she started baking.

Annette leaned against the counter, her arms crossed loosely over her chest, watching as Beth muttered to herself. Annette pursed her lips together and tried her hardest not to smile. It was never surprising to her when Beth came over, spitting mad about a fight she had had with Daryl. It wasn't as if they never fought. They had their fair share of disagreements. Anyone that different was bound to have their disagreements but it was actually rare for Beth to be as angry as she was right now.

"And then he just… gah!" She exclaimed as she slammed the bowl down. "He is just… he's just the biggest darn man baby who has ever existed!"

Annette couldn't help but smile now. "Bethy, all husbands are man babies."

"Not like Daryl. Daryl takes the cake," Beth said. "And speaking of cake, he is going to be getting none of this one!" She grabbed the cake pans to begin pouring the batter into. "I just don't understand him sometimes!"

"You're not the first wife to be confused by their husband," Annette tried to tell her.

Beth continued muttering under her breath as she opened the oven door and slid the cake pans inside, closing the door again and setting the timer. She stayed facing the oven at first and tried to regulate her breathing though honestly, she was still nearly shaking from her fight with Daryl that morning.

She loved Daryl. She loved Daryl so, so much but sometimes, she felt like it would be so much easier if she could just hate him. What if she had never met him and he was still living alone in his house in the woods and she still lived here on the farm with her parents and she had absolutely no interaction with him because she didn't know him? Wouldn't it all be easier?

He questioned her this morning. Again. Questioned her love. Her words. Her being with him. And she just felt so tired of it all. She knew he loved her. But when he said things like how better she would be off without him, she just snapped. Shouted to him that she hated him and he shouted back that he hated her, too, and he stormed out the back door as she stormed out the front.

And now, a couple of hours later, tears stung her eyes and she felt so much anger and yet, if Daryl walked through that door right now, she would throw herself at him and never let him go. She knew that no matter how badly they fought, there would never be a time when she wouldn't throw herself at him. And it terrified her that sometimes, she felt like Daryl would have no problem walking away from her. Especially if he had convinced himself that it was the best thing for her.

She hadn't even realized she was crying and sniffling until Annette came up behind her, shushing her with quiet words and wrapping her arms around her.

"It'll be okay, Beth," she said to her quietly.

And feeling her mom there, it only seemed to open the floodgates. Her anger evaporated almost immediately and now, she was just replaced with sadness. She turned towards her mother and Annette looked at her sadly as she lifted her hands and wiped at Beth's cheeks.

"What if he doesn't love me as much as I love him?" She whispered and the instant she asked the question, she hated herself a little.

Daryl loved her and she knew he loved her. Without a doubt. Everything Daryl did showed her how much he loved her. And there should never be a day that went by where she wondered or questioned.

"I have never seen a man who loves a woman more," Annette told her softly and Beth nodded because she could never deny that. That would always be the truth.

"He just never seems to believe me when I tell him I love him," Beth said, still whispering. "And I try so hard to get him to believe me but I…" she trailed off and shook her head. "I don't know if he ever will."

"He believes you," Annette said. "You know it would be hard for him. To go from getting no love at all in his life to getting you loving him. It's probably overwhelming and he clearly doesn't know what to do with it most of the time."

Beth nodded and lowered her eyes. She had said the same things both to herself and to others time and time again. Daryl had grown up with no love. He thought that maybe his mom had loved him – maybe at first before the wine and booze took her over. And Merle loved him in his own way but other than that, he had never had this; had someone who looked at him like the sun rose and fell with him each day. She was the first person who had ever loved him and she knew that it scared him.

"I want you to do something," Annette said. Beth looked at her, doubtful for a moment but she gave in, closing her eyes. "I want you to close your eyes and imagine. Just close your eyes and imagine how your life would be if you were married to someone like Jimmy," she said. She nearly laughed when Beth's face screwed into one of disgust but she kept her eyes closed nonetheless. "Now, this life with Jimmy, what is it like?"

Beth was quiet for a few passing minutes, honestly trying to imagine it.

She would probably live with Jimmy on his parents' farm as he helped his dad every day. She had dated Jimmy all through high school and everyone told her that she was so lucky and he was such a good boy and so handsome and Beth had tried to tell herself that she was in love with him. Would she have married him, still trying to convince herself that this was the man with whom she was always supposed to spend her life? There was nothing there. Sweet pecks on the lips and smiles but no passion. No kisses that made her toes curl or her knees weak. No smiles that made her blush. No desire to touch him just because she needed to feel him next to her in that moment. Life would Jimmy would have been nothing more than that. It would have been just nice but nothing more.

She would have been content but never truly happy.

She hadn't really known true happiness before she fell in love with Daryl Dixon.

…

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><p>Daryl heard her car pull up to the house a few hours after she had left but he didn't get up to go see her. He had spent the past few hours in the woods, first just storming around in anger but then, habit had taken over and he had started tracking a rabbit and by the time he returned home, he was as calm as he ever was.<p>

He knew he didn't really have a reason to be angry anyway. But he had done what he had always done. Frustrated with himself and lashing out at the first person he saw. And that person was always Beth. He didn't even really know what had set him off that morning. She had been there, talking about some errands they had to run and she was talking about going to the dollar store for a few things and for some reason, that morning, he hated hearing Beth talking about going to the dollar store. He knew he was being stupid and ridiculous but as Beth tried to talk him down, it had only made him angrier.

And then she shouted that she hated him and he shouted back that he hated her, too, before they both stormed out.

Hours later and though he was calm again, the words he had shouted at her made his stomach churn. His parents had used to scream at one another how much they hated the other constantly and just like that, with him and Beth yelling at one another, the curse of the Dixon history was repeating itself.

He heard her in the house as he continued sitting on the back steps, cleaning the rabbit he had killed, his ears attentive to every move she made inside. He knew she wasn't going to come to him and he knew he would have to make the first move and knew that that was the way things had to be. He waited though and finished until he was finished cleaning and wrapping the rabbit, storing it away into the deep freeze. Only then did he climb the creaky steps and open the screen door, stepping into the kitchen. She was sitting at her piano, shifting through her sheet music, and he went to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. He saw a container on the counter with a circular two layer cake inside.

"It's strawberry with buttercream frosting," Beth said, without looking at him but knowing that he had been looking at the cake.

"Sounds good," he said. And then setting his eyes on her, he went to her and slowly eased himself down onto the bench beside her as if expecting her to push him off.

She didn't though. She didn't even look at him before deciding on a piece of music. He sat there beside her and listened as she played and watched as her fingers floated across the keys lightly, hypnotizing him as it always tended to do.

"Can you turn the page for me?" She asked and his hand instantly lifted. "Now," she said and he turned the page as quickly as he would, her fingers never stumbling.

He looked at the notes on the page even though he couldn't read music. "'m sorry."

She didn't stop playing. "I'm sorry, too," she said softly.

The song lasted for another minute and then it faded away, her fingers sliding from the keys. Daryl turned his head to her and Beth turned her head to him.

"I love you," he said in a quiet voice and he saw Beth exhale a soft breath as if she had been holding it in.

She nodded and he saw tears glass in her eyes. "I love you, too," she whispered to him with a faint smile brushing across her lips and he felt like almost smiling, too.

He leaned into her and slid his arms around her waist, tugging her in close, and she turned more towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him as tightly as he was hugging her.

…

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><p><strong>Thank you very much for reading and please review!<strong>


	9. Like lookin' in a mirror

**This was not part of my original outline and it popped into my head today and I was so excited to write it. I am now going to be working on the next chapter of _From Afar_ next. I also posted yet another AU idea I have had on Tumblr so I might start working on that, too. **

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Nine.**

"Hey, Luke," Beth came to sit down on the top step of the daycare center beside the small boy as he sat there, hugging his ratty backpack to his chest and waiting for one of his parents to come. They were always late in getting him though and sometimes they forgot entirely and Lori had to drive him home.

"Hi, Mrs. Beth," he gave her a small smile.

They sat there for a few minutes in quiet, Luke perking up every time he heard a car approaching but sinking every time he saw the car drive right past.

Beth chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, wondering how she should start this conversation. She had been debating with herself for the past couple of weeks, not sure if she was crossing some invisible boundary that as a teacher, she had to follow, but she finally couldn't help herself and when she asked Daryl about it, he had just shrugged and said teachers always turned a blind eye to him even when they knew what was going on; made him think that no one cared.

Beth didn't want Luke to think that because she did care. She definitely cared. She cared about all of the kids at the daycare center but there was just something about Luke Ridgeway that had always tugged at her in a way none of the other kids did.

"Can I see your backpack?" She asked him gently.

Luke nodded and handed it to her, watching her, wondering what she was going to do with it. She gave him another small smile.

"I got you a few things but I want you to hide them from your parents. If you can," she added quickly. "Do you think you can do that? Our secret?"

Luke nodded, now even more curious.

She had a small plastic shopping bag with her and she pulled out the first item. A bar of soap. She didn't want to tell Luke outright but she knew he would always hear the other kids teasing him and it broke her heart that he was the smelly kid in the classroom. And seeing the way Luke's eyes lit up now at the sight of a simple bar of soap, she almost wanted to cry right then and there.

She then pulled out a pack of clean underwear with superheroes printed on them as well as a pack of white socks. She dropped them into the pack before pulling out several packs of beef sticks with cubes of cheese followed by two snack packs of Oreo cookies. Luke's eyes remained wide as he saw everything she stored away for him. She closed up the zipper and handed him back the pack with a small smile.

"Just a few extra things I picked up this week," she said, hoping he wouldn't be offended because even at his age, four-year-olds could be very proud and stubborn.

"Thank you, Mrs. Beth," he then said in a hush and he stared down at his backpack as if in awe of everything she had just placed inside of it for him.

"You are very welcome. And I'll give you a few more snacks next week," she promised to him and his beaming smile up at her made her feel like even if there were boundaries, she didn't give a damn about them.

They both looked up when they heard the roar of a motorcycle and moments later, Daryl had pulled to a stop at the curb, leaving the garage and picking her up as he did every other night. Beth didn't get up though and remained sitting beside Luke. She watched as Daryl stepped from the bike and came up the front path to them.

"Luke, this is my husband, Daryl Dixon," Beth said. "Daryl, this is Luke Ridgeway."

Luke smiled shyly, hugging his pack a little tighter to his chest. "Hi."

"Hey, kid," Daryl nodded his head to him and then sat himself down on the other side of Beth.

Beth knew they already knew one another – or rather knew of one another. Luke's parents were customers of Merle's and sometimes, long before they met and got married, Daryl had gone over to the Ridgeway house with him. Daryl had told her about it; how he would see flashes of Luke sometimes though his parents always yelled at him to stay in the bedroom and stepping into that house and seeing that kid was too much for him to handle and he stopped going with Merle anywhere – especially since he had nothing to do with Merle's dealings anyway.

"Got a sandwich from lunch," Daryl started to say, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket. "But I was too full and couldn' finish it. Do you like tuna?" He asked.

Luke looked at the sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap that Daryl was holding. He shook his head slowly, almost sadly. "I've never tried tuna before."

"Well, now you get to try it," Daryl said and reached past Beth to hold it out to Luke.

The boy hesitated for only a moment before taking the sandwich as quickly as he could; as if expecting Daryl to snatch it back and this was all just a big tease. Beth smiled faintly but it faded as she watched Luke gobble up the sandwich in just a few bites, starving as he always was, even though they fed the kids lunch every day.

"Well?" She remembered herself and smiled again. "What do you think of tuna?"

"That's the best sandwich I've ever had!" Luke exclaimed and Beth smiled, almost laughed, and the corners of Daryl's mouth twitched a little.

"I can bring you another one on Monday if you want," Daryl offered.

Luke gasped at the offer and nodded his head so rapidly, Beth thought he would snap his neck if that was possible. They all heard the car approaching and looked to see it speeding to a stop, brakes screaming, Valerie Ridgeway sitting in the front seat of the banged up, rusted out car and all of their smiles faded. She laid her hand on the horn and then shouted Luke's name.

Luke stood up and Beth stood up as well, helping him put his backpack on.

"Remember. Our secret," she said softly to him.

"I promise," he said and though he was smiling, she could see the dullness now clouding his eyes. He looked to Daryl, still sitting on the steps, and gave him a small wave before turning and trudging to the car.

Beth remained standing and watched as he got into the backseat. "Don't forget your seat belt!" She called out but before the boy could even fully shut the door, Valerie took off, speeding off down the street again.

Beth sighed heavily to herself and then turned slowly, looking down to Daryl. He looked at her and didn't say anything and without speaking, she sat back down beside him. She sighed again and rested her head on his bicep, his arm sliding over her lap, resting it heavily there.

"Was it like that for you?" She asked him in a whisper.

She knew asking him about his childhood was always tricky and more times than not, he completely shut down and she had learned quickly to never bring up the topic first. But she couldn't help it. She saw Luke, dirty and too skinny and always hungry with eyes dulling whenever his parents were around and she instantly had images of her own husband when he was a little boy and how no one had helped him.

"Yeah," Daryl said quietly and that was all he said. "Ready to go home?" He asked.

She nodded and he stood up first, taking hold of her hand and gently pulling her to her feet as if she needed the help. He stood on the ground and she stood on the first step to their faces were even. They exchanged small smiles and then after a moment, she nodded her head.

"Just let me go inside and get my stuff," she said and he nodded, his hands sliding down from where they were resting on her hips.

When she came out again, Daryl was back at his bike, a cigarette on his lower lip. He flicked it away when he saw her coming and climbed onto the bike, Beth climbing on behind him, her arms instantly circling around his waist. She loved the roar of the wind in her ears and against her face and the rumble of the machine beneath her and she almost always wound up closing her eyes on the ride home.

Friday night dinners were never anything big. That night, they just fried some fish that Daryl had caught the day before and made some rice to go along with it and as they sat down at the table to eat, Beth watched him, feeling nervous though she wasn't entirely sure why. This was Daryl. She could tell Daryl absolutely anything.

"I need to call child services on Luke's parents," she blurted out.

Daryl was chewing on a piece of fish and he nodded, waiting to speak until he swallowed. "Yeah," he said, looking at her.

"Lori said she has called a few times but nothing ever seems to get done. I'll make sure something gets done this time. And when I do, he's going to be placed somewhere," she continued, her stomach twisting and she hadn't taken a bite of her dinner as she looked at him.

He didn't say anything as he cut another piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Would it be alright… would you hate it if he came to stay with us?" She asked.

He waited again to swallow before speaking. Marrying Beth had taught him some table manners. "Why'd I hate that?" He asked.

"Really?" She asked and it still felt as if she was holding her breath.

He shrugged. "Kid's gotta go somewhere if he's taken from his home and this place is as good as any."

Beth felt an explosion of happiness. "Really?" She heard herself ask again.

"What were you expectin' me to say?" He wondered, looking at her curiously.

"I don't know," she admitted and then laughed a little at herself. "I just don't want to force you into this if it's something you really don't want to do."

Daryl shrugged and ate another mouthful of fish. "You need to eat," he then grunted to her, pointing to her plate with his fork. "Kid's lucky to have you carin' 'bout him. Wish I had someone like you when I was his age to give a shit 'bout me."

Beth nodded and she picked up her knife and fork but she didn't cut into the fish. Instead she looked at Daryl and suddenly, without a word, she surged forward and pressed her lips to his.

"Well, now you have me, giving a shit about you," she said softly and he smirked a little at her cursing.

He stared at her for a moment and then nodded his head slightly. "Yeah," he said just as softly.

…

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading and please review!<strong>


	10. News

**Thank you so much to all of those who read and reviewed this silly little story. I'm sure it's not the last time I will write something for the _House Call_ universe. **

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><p>…<p>

**Chapter Ten. **

The garage had been so busy that week, Dale had asked all of the guys if they would mind working on Saturday, and he wound up leaving so early that morning, Beth was still in bed. When she attempted to get up to make him something to eat, Daryl just shook his head and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm just gonna eat my toast. Don't need to help me with that," he said to her quietly and she smiled tiredly, her eyes already sliding shut again.

She fell back asleep almost instantly and she didn't even hear him when he left. When she woke up fully, it was almost seven o'clock and the house was silent. There were birds chirping outside and a soft breeze was blowing, rustling the trees. Beth rose from the bed and looking outside, she made sure that Daryl's motorcycle was actually gone before she hurried into the bathroom. Luke had spent the night at the Grimes for his first sleep over which made it just her in the house and that couldn't be more perfect for today of all days.

She had bought the test earlier that week, driving to a store nearly a half hour away so no one would recognize her. She didn't need people in this town finding out that Beth Dixon had gone out and bought herself a pregnancy test. She had then snuck it into the house and hid it in her box of tampons under the sink, knowing that Daryl would never find it there. Her fingers were practically shaking it now as she pulled it out and began reading the directions on the back though she supposed these things were rather self-explanatory.

She peed on the stick and then set it carefully on the edge of the bathtub. And now, she just had to wait. She exhaled a deep breath and washed her hands before leaving the bathroom, going into the kitchen to set the timer for fifteen minutes.

She stood there for a moment, looking out the window above the sink, her hand resting on her still-flat stomach. Would it still stay flat or would it be growing over the next few months? She wanted a baby. She really wanted a baby and she and Daryl had finally decided that the time had come to start trying. She hadn't actually expected anything to happen for a while. Her mother had had trouble conceiving both Shawn and herself and Beth had thought, in the back of her mind, that she might have trouble, too.

But then, she was one week late and then two and her heart began pounding in her chest and she had just known. Or suspected. And she had to find out as soon as she could. Dale needing Daryl to work that day was a godsend since she didn't want to do this with him around. She might not actually be pregnant and she didn't want to put him through the wave of emotions that came with the possibility if it turned out to be not even true. She wanted to be certain before she told him.

The timer dinged, startling her, and she hadn't realized she had been staring out the window for the entire fifteen minutes. Her stomach was fluttering and she felt like she was going to throw up as she took slow steps back into the bathroom. She tried to remind herself that breathing was very important and she had to keep doing so. Inhale, exhale, over and over. Her hand slowly reached out to pick up the stick. With one more deep breath and a silent plea sent up to above, she looked down.

Her eyes almost immediately flooded with tears. A pink plus sign. As clear as day, it was a pink plus sign. And the pink plus sign only meant one thing. She felt the tears rush down her cheeks and she let out a slight laugh, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her. Positive. It was positive. She was pregnant. She and Daryl were going to have a baby.

And just like that, everything was different now.

…

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><p>All of the bay doors were open, taking advantage of the warm day when Beth pulled into the parking lot and her eyes scanned for Daryl but she didn't see him. She headed into the office, Daryl standing behind the counter, filling out some paperwork, and when he lifted his head and saw her, he smiled warmly.<p>

"Well, good morning, Mrs. Dixon," he greeted.

She laughed a little. "Good morning, Dale. You weren't kidding about it being busy."

"For some reason, people don't give a crud about their cars in the winter and hold off all maintenance until the spring. And that doesn't make a lick of sense because winter is the one time your car needs the most love," Dale said.

Beth nodded. "Daryl has said something similar though his explanation involved calling those people not-so-nice names," she smiled and Dale laughed. "Speaking of Daryl, would it be alright if I spoke to him for a moment?"

"Of course it is. He's due for his break anyway." Dale went to the door that led into the garage and stood in the threshold. "Dixon!" He yelled. "Wife's here!"

"Thank you," Beth smiled at him as Dale stepped back and Beth took his place in the doorway, watching Daryl push himself out from beneath a car and she smiled, her stomach fluttering, as she watched him approach, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Hey," he said. "Everything alright?" He asked.

Beth nodded and stood on her toes, her hands resting on his cheeks and she gave him a soft kiss. Daryl's hands slid over her hips and kissed her softly into return.

"You sure?" He asked once their kiss ended and their faces remained close.

She kept smiling. She couldn't help it. She didn't think she could stop smiling now even if she wanted to. She was nervous about telling him and yet, she knew it would be okay. He wanted a baby, too. He hadn't actually said that but she knew he did. He hadn't fought or protested it when she brought it up and he had even smiled when she told him she imagined him taking their son or daughter out hunting one day.

She knew he was scared about it deep down. He hadn't much of an example of what a good parent was while growing up and he had mentioned the cursed Dixon blood more than once. She didn't believe in any of that. She knew Daryl would be a wonderful father and he would love their child more than anything. He didn't believe it but she knew it to be true. Daryl Dixon had so much love in his heart and once he loved someone, he would love them forever.

"How's work going?" She asked, wanting to buy a couple of more seconds.

"Been so busy, it's goin' by fast. It's almost lunch, ain't it?" He asked and she nodded.

"I actually brought you some food. I left it in the car," she said.

"That's why I married you," he smirked.

"Because I keep you fed?" She laughed and he didn't deny it. She looked up at him. "I love you," she then whispered and watched as the tips of his ears turned red.

"Alright, Dixon. I'm not paying you to woo your wife," Dale said, coming up behind Beth, a smile on his face.

"How do you know I'm not the one wooing him?" Beth smiled. She looked back to Dale. "Do you mind if I take Daryl away? Just for a few minutes. I have to tell him something," she said and she felt Daryl looking at her.

"Take all the time you need, Beth. Daryl's due for a break anyway," he reminded her.

Beth gave him a gracious smile and then taking Daryl's hand, she tugged him from the garage towards the parking lot, stopping them near her car.

"I'm gonna ask you one more time, Beth," Daryl said, his eyes watching her closely.

"I'm fine." She lifted her hands and linked them behind his neck and his hands went to her hips again, pulling her close to him. "I'm fine," she said again and she couldn't stop smiling. She exhaled a deep breath. This was it. "And actually, I'll be even better in about… nine months."

For a minute, and then another passing minute, Daryl didn't do anything or say anything. He just stared at her and she wondered if he understood what she was telling him. She opened her mouth to say something else – to actually just come out and tell him that she was pregnant – but before any words could leave her mouth, he suddenly grabbed her and crushed her body to his. She gasped with surprise and then laughed as his arms bound around her waist, lifting her up so her feet dangled above the ground. Her arms tightened around his neck and she hugged him and he just stood there, holding her, his face pressed against the side of her throat.

She didn't say anything, not wanting to break the moment, and she closed her eyes, feeling tears ready to fall down her cheeks again. This was exactly how she had wanted him to react. She had wanted him to act like this was a good thing and something that not only she wanted but something he wanted, too.

His arms tightened once around her waist and then slowly, he set her down on her feet again but his arms remained around her waist.

"When did you find out?" He asked, his voice sounding more gruff than usual.

"I took the test just this morning. We'll have to go to the doctor to get it confirmed but… I am. I know I am," she said softly.

His eyes never left hers as his hand slipped from her hip and came to a rest on her abdomen. The seemingly simple gesture made the breath catch in her throat and the tears she was trying to desperately keep in her eyes spilled out, sliding down her cheeks, and she moved her hand to rest over his.

They stood there and didn't say anything for another moment. She then heard Daryl exhale a shaky breath and she looked at him, seeing that he was trying to keep himself under control. He wasn't going to cry. Dixons didn't cry. But he definitely was looking overwhelmed.

"I love you," she whispered to him.

His eyes lifted from looking down at their hands on her stomach to meet her eyes. "I love you, too," he said in his low, gruff voice and it made her beam and cry a bit more. "When do we have to go to the doctor?" He asked.

"Soon," she said. "I want to find out for sure before we tell my parents."

He nodded in agreement. "Think that new doc in town, Stookey or somethin', might be the one we have to go to. Want me to give him a call?"

"You'll do that?" She asked and she couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

"Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" He shrugged, trying to be casual but she could the faint blush on his face he got whenever he was feeling embarrassed or unsure. "You carryin' the kid so I'm your bitch for the next few months?" He guessed.

She burst out laughing then and his own lips twisted into a small smile. She stood on her toes and put her hands on either side of his neck as she pressed her lips to his. His arms bound tightly around her waist and held her as tightly to him as he could.

"I hope you've gotten your fill of me," she smiled up at him. "Because we're never going to be alone ever again."

He smirked at that. "Real glad we decided on havin' kids then," he said and she laughed again before pulling him down for another kiss.

…

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><p><strong>The end.<strong>

**Thank you so much for reading and please review!**


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